Category Archives: General

Sequel to the smash-hit football sim created by a real football manager arrives on The App Store and Google Play

Developed by a real life manager and coach with over 15 years experience

Unparalleled in-depth gameplay at the club level

Manage even more clubs – over 800 clubs across 38 leagues

Play as the Director and drive your club to success through hiring and firing your management team and squad, securing sponsorship deals and developing new facilities

Even more choice to hire and fire from – 30,000 players and 10,000+ staff members

Improved stats engine mirrors real-life team and player behaviour

Northampton, UK – 4 September 2018. Marking the beginning of the new football season, Independent developer Go-Play-Games today announced that Club Soccer Director 2019 (CSD 2019), the latest iteration of its hit football management series has kicked off on The App Store and Google Play. This latest version features a raft of improvements and innovations over its predecessor including a huge choice of 38 leagues from new countries (including Portugal, Holland, Turkey, Russia, Scotland, Brazil), thousands more players and staff, new revenue opportunities, revamped AI and a new landscape view to work better on tablets.

While most soccer management games are focused on squad-level tactics, Club Soccer Director 2019 offers players in-depth control at the club-level. Players assume the role of the football Director in an existing or user-generated club from one of 38 leagues across 14 countries. With the ability to hire and fire at will, wannabe directors can impose their style on the squad by recruiting staff and skillfully negotiating the twice-yearly transfer window to find the best squad members.

As well as staff and squad management, player’s assume full control over their club’s facilities including the stadium, the training ground and the academy – all of which can be upgraded and improved, yielding happier fans, better players, and brighter academy prospects. Club Soccer Director 2019 features even more way to generate income through negotiating deals including sponsorship, ticket prices, stadium naming rights and other commercial revenue generating opportunities. Meeting, or exceeding season objectives on a regular basis improves the Director’s reputation, giving players the choice of moving to one of over 800 clubs across 14 countries.

For anyone that likes to tinker with tactics, players have the option to override the manager’s decision on match days, including team lineup, formation and both in and out-of-possession tactics. Players can also dictate to the manager how they want him to play. Club Soccer Director 2019’s live-action match engine has been overhauled to give a more realistic match-day environment. This includes improved tactical setups from managers in which they adapt to matchday situations. There’s also real-time statistics, individual player overviews and four different game speeds – giving gamers as much or little control as they want. Players can also watch post-match interviews that look and feel like a real-life sports broadcast.

Club Soccer Director 2019 development is being led by Jim Scott, a football manager and coach with over 15 years of experience. As well as being a current football manager, Jim has also 20+ years developing and publishing sports games for console, PC, and mobile platforms.

Club Soccer Director 2019 is available as a free app from the App Store at:

A FEW WEEKS BACK, MY SON’S SOCCER TEAM WAS PLAYING A RUN-OFF GAME FOR THE FINAL PLAYOFF IN THE DIVISION

They had a big lead and, as the time wound down, the other team was starting to get frustrated and rather “chippy.” One kid in particular had locked into some one-on-one challenges with my son, who is mild-mannered and often plays the role of peacemaker.

Ultimately, my son’s team won and, as the teams lined up to do the sportsmanship handshake, this kid refused to shake hands with my son and others. Instead, he walked away with a one-fingered gesture in their direction.

Not a great sport.

Based on my experiences, I am going to guess that he is the child of parents who also do not demonstrate good sportsmanship. What I have observed time and again in youth sports is that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Sadly, many parents today put winning above character.

Competition is a vital part of achievement and outperforming. In fact, the word “compete” comes from the Latin word competere which means “strive together.” Yet, this concept tends to be misunderstood and underappreciated.

The reality is that we regularly compete in most aspects of our life. We compete for jobs we want, college admission spots, and for new clients and employees.

Unlike the boy my son played, Ty Koehn understands the essence of competition and character. Koehn is a high school pitcher in Minnesota. Last week during the sectional championship game, he struck out his best friend and competitor, Jack Kocon. This final strike advanced Koehn’s team to the state tournament.

As his team rushed to the pitcher’s mound to celebrate, Koehn immediately headed to home plate and gave Kocon a big hug before joining his teammates in celebration, as you’ll see in this inspiring video.

When asked about his reaction, Koehn said that he wanted his friend to know their friendship was more important than the outcome of the game.

The scene reminded me of a video I saw a few years back of a softball player named Sarah Tucholsky. Sarah had hit a three-run home run, the first in her college career, but she had missed making contact with first base on her first go-round. As she ran back to tag first base, she tore her ACL.

As per official rules, none of Tucholsky’s teammates could assist her in running the bases, which she couldn’t do because of her injured knee. The umpires also pointed out that Tucholsky’s hit would only count as a two-run single if she were replaced by a pinch runner.

What happened next was one of the most incredible acts of sportsmanship I’ve ever seen. It’s actually hard to watch this video without getting emotional.

Competing is about elevating our own game. It’s about practicing, getting better and having the will to win as a team. Instead of winning at all costs or wishing failure on others, real winners always prioritize character over winning itself. True sportsmanship requires that we know how to win well and be gracious in defeat.

WITH SUMMER FAST APPROACHING, TEACHING CHILDREN TO BE SAFE NEAR WATER BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT

Latest stats show that 56 children under the age of 11 years old drowned in the UK in the last 5 years, with more than 300 people accidentally drowning every year.

And for every drowning death that occurs, there are more than 10 near drownings, with many of these leading to life changing injuriesWe at the RLSS UK strongly believe that lives could be saved if children and young people were taught how to be safe near water.

We launched the Drowning Prevention Week campaign five years ago to help put water safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind in the lead up to summer, a high-risk time of year for drowning.

Drowning Prevention Week, this year running from 15-25 June, is a national, awareness raising campaign and every year schools, leisure centres, community groups, businesses and MPs use our free downloadable resources to teach their local communities how to stay safe near water.

We want to equip everyone, young and old, with basic water safety skills to help them identify risks and make informed choices around water based activities.

There are a number of things you can do to help keep your family safe this summer:

At home

• Always use self-closing gates, fences and locks to prevent children from gaining access to pools of water

• Securely cover all water storage tanks and drains

• Empty paddling pools and buckets as soon as they have been used. Always turn paddling pools upside down once empty

• Always supervise bath time (never leave children unattended). Empty the bath as soon as possible after use

On holiday

• When researching your holiday, or arriving at your destination, check the safety arrange-ments of any water-based activities and if there is lifeguard cover at the pool or beach

• Check bathing sites for hazards, check the safest places to swim and always read the signs – find out what local warning signs and flags mean. Take time to check the depth, water flow and layout of pools

• Swim with any children in your care – it’s more fun and you can keep them close and safe

• On beaches check when the tide will be high and low and make sure that you won’t be cut off from the beach exit by the rising tide. Also, be aware of dangerous rip-currents

• Inflatable dinghies or lilos are a well-known hazard – each year there are drownings as people on inflatables are blown out to sea. Do not use them in open water

• Do not swim near to or dive from rocks, piers, breakwater or coral

• Swim parallel to the beach and close to the shore

We believe that the majority of drowning incidents can be prevented, especially with children. No family should ever have to go through the pain of losing a child through drowning. Making sure everyone is aware of the basic principles of water safety helps to keep families safe, and still enjoy the water.

We don’t want to stop people having fun in the water, far from it, we want everyone to have fun and enjoy the summer weather. But it is important to remember that drowning can, and does happen, and that there are things you can do to prevent tragedy.

To get involved with the campaign, find out what your local leisure centre is doing or visit our campain wesbite for our free resources at dpw.rlss.org.uk.

YOU TUBE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW UK SHOWS THAT BEGIN STREAMING ON THE PLATFORM THIS JUNE – “F2 FINDING FOOTBALL” AND “THE SIDEMEN SHOW”

LONDON, JUNE 4, 2018 — YouTube has teamed up with British superstar creators to produce two brand new Original series for subscription streaming service, YouTube Premium. “F2 Finding Football” follows the F2 as they discover football culture around the world with world-renowned musical guests such as Lil Jon, Becky G and more.

F2 Finding Football

In “F2 Finding Football,” football skill pioneers Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch (The F2) explore the beautiful game and unique pitches around the world in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Iceland, France, Thailand and more. The hosts and their guests take on adventures in every episode from creating their own version of a Japanese game show with Steve Aoki (DJ), making a Western movie in Hollywood with Blink 182’s Travis Barker (Blink-182) and much more. Additional celebrity guests in the series include singer and actress Becky G, EDM duo Krewella, rappers A$AP Ferg and Lil Jon, and Rock band Sigur Ros. “F2 Finding Football,” is produced by Whistle Sports.

The series will premiere on the F2Freestyler’s YouTube Channel on June 13th, just in time for the World Cup. From kicking a ball through narrow alleyways of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas to The F2 mashing up trick-shots and tango in Buenos Aires to eating shrimp alive in Thailand, “F2 Finding Football” is a fusion of culture, music, community and sport.

Wingrove and Lynch (the F2) say: “It’s been an unbelievable experience creating this series.Whether it be a loyal football fan or someone who’s never seen a pitch, this show will give an unforgettable glimpse into how our beloved game is played around the world, just as many of these incredible countries are about to play on football’s biggest stage.”

LaLonde, vice president of content, head of studio for Whistle Sports says: “To create a series with YouTube Premium featuring such talented individuals like The F2 is a true dream. As Whistle Sports continues to grow and increases its push into longer-form, premium content, it’s exciting to introduce this series that embodies the values of our younger audience: positivity, creativity, humour and skill.”

Luke Hyams, Head of YouTube Originals in EMEA says: “At YouTube, we continue to support incredible European creators and the stories they want to share with the whole world. ‘F2 Finding Football’ is a show that will captivate global audiences as it explores the many ways people are inspired by the beautiful game in some of the most football-obsessed countries in the world. The series also gives The F2 the opportunity to show off their incredible skills (or tekkers) as never before in some incredible locations around the world alongside some very special guest stars!”

The first episode, premiering on June 13th, will be free for the public to stream as well as the second episode which will air soon after. The remaining episodes will be available by purchasing YouTube Premium, which will be available in the UK early this summer.

For high resolution images for use in press, see this folder for “F2 Finding Football” and “The Sidemen Show”. Please note all images for “F2 Finding Football” should be credited to Chris Macchi/Whistle Sports. All images for “The Sidemen Show” should be credited to Blue Ant Media.

MO FARAH TOOK THE CROWN AS 2017 SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR LAST NIGHT, BEATING FAVOURITES ANTHONY JOSHUA AND LEWIS HAMILTON

The surprise announcement raises the question; who was truly the most influential sportsperson of 2017? Sports marketing agency Exposure has conducted research to answer this question.

Jamie Vardy and Sam Warburton are the most influential figures in UK sport, says new study

Only 50% of the top 20 is composed of active sportspeople

Inclusion of social media influencers shows changing face of UK sport

20% of the top 10 is female

New research has revealed the top twenty most influential Brits when it comes to encouraging people to attend, play, watch or engage with sport in the UK. Joint top of the list are Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy and Welsh Rugby Union star Sam Warburton.

The research, carried out by creative communications agency Exposure, showed that rugby influencers and those involved in athletics and swimming are as well-represented as high profile footballers. As well as current sportspeople, the list includes Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis (No.7) and former players and TV commentators like Gary Lineker (No.10) – and the heads of major sporting bodies such as the FA and the RFU.

Other major influencers are YouTube channel Copa90 (No.11), fitness coach and author Joe Wicks (No.12) and social media personality Spencer FC (No.13). Only half the top 20 is composed of sportspeople active in their field, showing the surprising diversity of people that are able to effectively influence how the British public engage with sport in this country.

The research employed a unique analysis tool to identify the 250 biggest names in UK sport and examine each person’s online influence through social media platforms like Twitter, offline influence such as appearances in books, newspapers and on TV and their personal ‘brand value’ based upon their current level of public interest, recent scandals and any charity initiatives that they are involved in.

The Top 20 most influential figures in UK sport:

Name

Name

Sport/Role

Position

Sam

Warburton

Rugby

1=

Jamie

Vardy

Football

1=

Adam

Peaty

Swimming

3

Owen

Farrell

Rugby

4

Gareth

Thomas

Rugby presenter

5

Tom

Daley

Diving

6

Dame Jessica

Ennis

Athletics commentator

7

Marcus

Rashford

Football

8

Dame Katherine

Grainger

Chair, UK Sport

9

Gary

Lineker

BBC Sports presenter

10

Copa90

YouTube

11

Joe

Wicks

Social media influencer

12

Spencer FC

YouTube

13

Harry

Kane

Football

14

Ian

Ritchie

Rugby – CEO of RFU

15

Andy

Murray

Tennis

16

Gareth

Bale

Football

17

Baroness

Grey-Thompson

Member of the House of Lords, Board Member of London Legacy Development Corporation

18

Justin

Rose

Golf

19

Martin

Glenn

Football – CEO of FA

20

The research demonstrates how influencers come from a wide range of sports, including rugby, swimming and golf, and not just the usual suspects like football.

There are people from the world of sport that wield an extraordinary level of influence and they aren’t necessarily the big names that sponsors automatically seek out. Organisation heads like Dame Katherine Grainger (No.9) and Ian Ritchie (No.15) also rank highly, due to their ability to affect every aspect of sporting life from grassroots development to international play. TV presenters and commentators are still the recognisable face of UK sport to those who watch sport on TV.

Andy Jephson, head of sport & culture at Exposure, comments: “Some of the ‘traditional’ big names of UK sport have been surpassed by players who fans have a closer connection to. From Jamie Vardy’s rise from the lower leagues to the emergence of young British stars like Marcus Rashford, our research suggests that football fans are looking for players who are authentic and real.”

While sportspeople dominate the top 20, the power of social media has changed the parameters of influence in UK Sport. Andy Jephson commented: “It’s incredible to see Joe Wicks, Spencer FC (Spencer Owen) and Copa90 in the top 20 as it is evidence of the democratisation of sport, where there are now opportunities for people outside of the establishment to get involved in the sports that they love.”

There are also signs that women’s sport is becoming more influential in the UK. The fact that only 15% of the top 20 is comprised of women might on first glance appear to reinforce traditional gender imbalances in sport. Women represent 20% of the top 10 and 250 most influential people in UK sport – when viewed in context of the scale of men’s sport and how established it is, this figure can be seen as evidence that the influence of women upon UK sport is growing.

Methodology:

Exposure used its unique scoring system to find the UK’s most influential figures in sports, focusing on those who can influence people to participate/engage with sports – whether that be through attending games, watching games at home or in the pub, buying merchandise, following their every move online, or participating in the sport itself.

The research factored in each person’s online influence, offline influence and their brand value (i.e. is there public interest in them, any recent scandals, are they ambassadors of a charity or perhaps have their own charity etc.). The extensive list analysed over 250 people involved in UK sports including athletes, presenters, journalists, social media influencers and publications.

More detail on the research:

The research included more than 2,000 individual measurements split into three equally-weighted categories, including:

Online: Presence; frequency and quality of content; number of followers; engagement; and objectives of their social media channels.

Offline: Ability to affect the laws; number of people currently participating in their sport; increase or decrease in people participating in their sport; appearance in offline channels such as books and TV; and how often the sport is covered in mainstream media.

Brand Strength: Whether they are international, national or local champions in their sport; recent performance compared to expectations; public interest in them increasing or decreasing; involvement with charitable causes, be it face of a campaign or spokesperson for change in their own sport; recent involvement in any scandals, both personal and professional; and if they are considered inspirational or ground-breaking in their area.

Pitchero is a tool that works at the heart of a sporting club/team as a management system. It works to help teams to communicate with players and helps to keep everyone up to date with the club’s latest news, fixtures and results. Additionally, it acts as a payment system that collects and tracks payments on the central control panel.

Working on both a website system and mobile app, Pitchero is designed to involve every member of the club, from managers and coaches, to fans and players.

“Play” is the new product from Pitchero that helps teams to capture, edit and share match highlights in real time. This has its focus around grass-root sports clubs to allow them to create more of a professional feel, but it can be adapted and used at all levels.

When subscribing to Pitchero “Play”, clubs will receive a smart phone with 10x optical zoom for recording video, a tripod, portable battery pack and use of the customised Pitchero “Play” app. Recording in-game – the user has the ability to tag a specific highlight to a player, and the app automatically captures the 20 seconds before and after – to create neat highlight clip. With time always at a premium, this puts an end to painful editing post match!

Additionally, these clips could even be uploaded live during the match, so it’s a great way for clubs to grow their community and keep supporters interested. This exclusive content is not only a valuable reference point for clubs, but also creates a compelling reason for your supporters to keep coming back to your channels.

The Pitchero “Play” kit is extremely easy to use, and has been designed in a way to make it straightforward as possible for anyone to use during a match. This means that even if a club is short of staff for any reason, after a 5-minute play around anyone could step in a still produce high quality footage and highlights.

Pitchero Play is everything you need to allow you to record a match, create highlights and share everything online instantly. Play. Replay. Relive. Redefine. Take a look at thid link of how it can be used in Rugby as an example or the website https://www.pitchero.com/play for more videos and clips.

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